Locket having cover of locally compressible plastic retained by means which minimizes retaining contact therewith

ABSTRACT

A jewelry locket has a decorative pheripheral frame for holding a photograph or other display image beneath a removable front cover crystal. The crystal is made of a plastic material which can be compressed in localized areas without cracking, and the frame incorporates a plurality of round beads integral with the frame. The round beads provide circumferentially spaced and radially inwardly projecting surfaces which are effective to engage the edge of the crystal cover in areas of localized compression so that the crystal can readily be snapped into and out of the frame without breaking or cracking and yet securely retained in the frame during normal use without any auxiliary retaining clips, hinges or similar structure.

[75] Inventor: Kent L. Jacobson, Moraga, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Dick Tyrrell Jewelers, Inc., Walnut Creek, Calif.

[22] Filed: May 8, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 468,186

[52] US. Cl. 63/18; 63/23; 40/152; 40/156 [51] llnt. Cl. A44C 25/00 [58] Field of Search 40/154, 152, 152.1, 1.5, 40/1.6, 156; 63/18, 23, 29 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 457,098 8/1891 Thornton 63/23 2,220,038 10/1940 Kreisler et a1... 63/23 UX 2,339,364 1/1944 Thomas 40/1.5 2,572,454 10/1951 Down et al 40/152 UX 2,599,382 6/1952 Goldberg i 40/152 3,181,869 5/1965 Genin et al. 40/154 X Jacobson Aug. 12, 197 5 [54] LOCKET HAVING COVER OF LOCALLY 3,468,045 9/1969 Keller et a1. 40/15 COMPRESSIBLE PLASTIC RETAINED BY FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS MEANS WHICH MINIMIZES RETAINING 1,447,340 6/1966 France 63/23 CONTACT THEREWITH 1,493,071 7/1967 France 63/23 Primary ExaminerF, Barry Shay Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Owen, Wickersham & Erickson 5 7 ABSTRACT A jewelry locket has a decorative pheripheral frame for holding a photograph or other display image beneath a removable front cover crystal. The crystal is made of a plastic material which can be compressed in localized areas without cracking, and the frame incorporates a plurality of round beads integral with the frame. The round beads provide circumferentially 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures LOCKET HAVING COVER OF LOCALLY COMPRESSIBLE PLASTIC RETAINED BY MEANS WHICH MINIMIZES RETAINING CONTACT THEREWITH CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application relates to the structure and function of a jewelry locket. A co-pending U.S. design application Ser. No. 427,078 was filed Dec. 21, 1973 for the ornamental appearance of this jewelry locket.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a jewelry locket and particularly to a jewelry locket of the kind in which a front crystal cover is removably retained in a frame to permit a photograph or other display image to be installed and removed or replaced beneath the crystal.

Articles of jewelry that hold a display object have been made in a wide variety of forms in the prior art.

Crystals made of glass are often used, and in such cases the characteristics of the glass material, particu' larly the tendency to crack under stress, have required certain frame constructions and retainer devices. A glass crystal must be mounted in a way that the crystal is loosely retained without being put under stress. Hinged crystal carriers and movable clip-type retainers have often been used in association with frame members for assembling the glass crystals in the articles of jewelry.

Crystals of plastic material have been widely used with identification devices, and also to some extent with articles of jewelry. The plastic covers are often laminated or otherwise nonremovably connected to the object to be displayed. In some applications the plastic crystal covers have been used in a way to take advantage of the flexibility of the plastic material so that the cover can be removed to replace the object being displayed. However, the prior art has not made effective use of the physical qualities of the plastic material to enable a retainer structure to provide both a decorative design function in an article of jewelry while at the same time performing a releasable retaining function which eliminates the need for auxiliary clips, hinges and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION It is an important object of the present invention to use the compressibility characteristics of a plastic crystal cover for a jewelry locket in a new way. The plastic crystal permits the structure used for the ornamental design of the locket to perform a releasable retainer function that is not at all apparent from the appearance of the structure involved.

It is a closely related object to eliminate auxiliary clip, hinge and similar structure. The elements of the decorative design are used with a compressible plastic crystalcover in a way that not only effectively retains the cover in the locket during normal use but also permits the cover to be removed and replaced to change the photograph or other display image in the locket.

A jewelry locket constructed in accordance with the present invention has a peripheral metal frame with an inwardly projecting support.

A crystal cover is made from a plastic material that is clear and transparent and that also can be compressed in a localized area without cracking. The crys tal cover fits closely in the frame with the back surface of the cover engaged with the inwardly projecting support.

The frame has a plurality of round beads cast integral with the frame on the front surface. These beads are closely spaced to give the appearance of small jewels outlining the edge of the crystal cover.

The beads also coact with the plastic crystal cover in a unique and unobvious way to serve as a releasable retainer. This retainer permits removal and replacement of the crystal and eliminates the need for any auxiliary clip, hinge or related structure which would be detrimental to the appearance of the jewelry locket.

The round beads provide circumferentially spaced and radially inwardly projecting surfaces which are effective to engage the edge of the crystal cover in areas of localized compression. Because the crystal is made of a plastic material which can be locally compressed in this way without cracking, the beads forming part of the decorative design coact with the crystal to retain the crystal in place during normal use. The beads also permit the crystal to be readily snapped out of and back into the frame when it is desired to change the photograph; and no additional retaining clip, hinge or similar structure is required.

The frame is formed in a generally ellipitcal shape, and the inwardly projecting support is a ridge shaped support. This support has an annular flat front surface for engaging the back edge of the crystal cover and also has an annular flat back surface for engaging a back cover plate.

The back cover plate is formed with a decorative motif so that the locket can be work with either the crystal cover or the decorative back plate presented to view. In one embodiment of the present invention the back cover plate is dimensioned to fit within the frame in a wedge fit.

The jewelry locket of the present invention also includes a jewel mount and connecting means for connecting the jewel mount to the back plate.

Jewelry locket apparatus and methods which incorporate the structure and techniques described above and which are effective to function as described above constitute specific objects of this invention.

Other objects, advantages and features of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one preferred embodiment taken with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric exploded view of a jewelry locket that is constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the jewelry locket shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged cross section view taken along the line and in the direction indicated by the arrows 33 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a back elevation view of the jewelry locket shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A jewelry locket constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1. The jewelry locket comprises a frame 12, a crystal cover 14, a

back plate 16 and a mount 18 for a jewel such as the diamond 20 shown in FIG. 4.

A photograph or other display image 22 is mounted in the locket beneath the crystal cover 14.

The frame 12 is a metal frame preferably made by casting. It has an inwardly projecting support 24. The support 24 has an annular flat face 26 which engages the back edge of the crystal cover 14; and the support 24 has a similar annular flat back face 27 (see FIG. 3) for engaging and supporting the back plate 16.

The outer edge of the frame 12 has a decorative design in the form of a coiled metallic strand 28. The entire frame 12 is formed in a generally elliptical configuration as illustrated and has a pair of upper loops 30 for receiving a chain.

A plurality of circular shaped beads 32 on the front surface of the frame 12 are closely spaced to provide the appearance of jewels outlining the edge of the crystal cover.

The beads 32 are preferably cast integral with the frame 12. The beads provide circumferentially spaced and radially inwardly projecting surfaces, and the locket is constructed so that certain ones of these surfaces are effective to engage the edge of the plastic crystal cover 14. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the inner surface 32a of the bead 32 engages the crystal cover 14 in the localized area 14a. The way in which the bead engages the crystal cover at this point causes a slight compression of the plastic in this area 14a. Because the crystal cover 14 is made of a suitable plastic material, the crystal cover will accommodate this localized compression without cracking or breaking.

This coaction between the bead 32 and the crystal cover 14 produces a useful and unobvious result. The bead 32 can be formed integral with and connected rigidly to the frame 12 at the particular locations desired for the best aesthetic effect and still serve effectively as releasable retaining means for holding the cover crystal 14 in place. This is possible because the plastic composition of the crystal cover 14 has enough compressibility at the localized area 140 to be inserted beneath the bead 32 and then to be retained securely in place during normal use all without cracking or breaking of the crystal cover even though the areas of contact which result in the retention have been minimized.

In a particular form of the present invention the crystal cover 14 has a hollowed out bottom side 14b to reduce the wall thickness in the area of contact with a bead 32. In this particular embodiment the crystal is made of a clear Lexan plastic, a clear polycarbonate plastic which is commercially available from the General Electric Co. In this particular embodiment also the periphery of the crystal cover 14 is slightly raised (in an outward radially direction) at four locations 14a as indicated in FIG. 1 for making contact with related beads 32. These areas of contact with the beads result in the slight depressions within the raised areas as illustrated at the locations 14a in FIG. 1.

The crystal cover 14 can also be made of a clear Plexiglas plastic, a clear acrylic plastic available from the Rohn and Hass Co. In this embodiment of the present invention the crystal is preferably formed as a solid piece, rather than a hollowed out structure as illustrated in the drawings. In this second embodiment, the bead-shaped retainers 32 are effective to engage the edge of the crystal cover in substantially only three triangularly disposed locations about the peripheral edge of the crystal.

The manner of engagement of the beads 32 with the crystal cover is determined by the casting of the frame 12 and the configuration of the crystal cover 14.

The back cover plate 16 is formed with a decorative design as illustrated in FIG. 4 so that the locket can be worn with either the crystal cover or the decorative back plate exposed to view.

The back plate 16 is preferably dimensioned to fit within the frame 12 in a wedge fit. However, the back plate 16 can also be soldered or otherwise connected in place within the frame 12.

The jewel mount 18 has a pair of inwardly projecting pins 40 which fit within related holes 42 in the back plate 16. The pins 40 can be made as a press fit within the holes 42 or these pins can be soldered in place.

The jewel mount 18 may be a floral design as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4, and has a somewhat recessed inner area with upstanding prongs 44 for holding the jewel 20.

In the present invention, the unique coaction between the beads 32 and the plastic cover crystal 14 permits the beads to serve a utilitarian function as retaining clips in an unobvious manner to eliminate the need for accessory auxiliary hinges, special clamps or similar structure which would detract from the design of the jewelry locket.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves .without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

I claim:

1. A jewelry locket of the kind in which a front crystal cover is removably retained in a frame to permit a photograph or other display image to be installed and removed or replaced beneath the crystal, said locket comprising,

a peripheral, cast metal frame having an integrally formed, inwardly projecting support providing a flat front surface which is recessed from the front surface of the frame,

a crystal cover molded from a plastic material that is clear and transparent and that also can be deformed by being compressed in a localized area without cracking,

said crystal cover having peripheral configuration to fit closely in the frame with a back surface of the cover engaged with said flat front support surface,

and means for releasably retaining said crystal cover in place when so fitted in the frame while minimizing retaining contact therewith, said means comprising a plurality of bead-shaped retainer members cast integrally on the frame and spaced about the periphery of the frame for engaging the crystal cover only at selected locations on the periphery thereof in localized areas of compression whereby the plastic crystal cover is securely held in place in the frame during normal use of the locket but can readily be snapped out of and back into the frame when it is desired to replace the photograph or other image by the coaction between the beadshaped retainer members and the compressible plastic crystal cover.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the crystal cover is made from clear Lexan polycarbonate plastic and the back side of the crystal cover is hollowed out to reduce the wall thickness.

3. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein the periphery of the crystal cover has four raised areas for making contact with four bead-shaped retainers members of said retaining means.

4. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the frame and the crystal cover have a substantially elliptical configuration.

5. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein there are a large number of bead shaped members in the form of circular beads, said large number including said retainer members and being cast integral with the frame and closely spaced to provide a decorative effect and the crystal cover has a plurality of raised areas which extend radially outwardly of the periphery said areas correponding in number to said retainer members so that they are effective to engage the periphery of the crystal cover at the raised areas.

6. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the inwardly projecting support is a ridge shaped support having the annular flat front surface for engaging a back edge of the crystal cover and also having an annular flat back surface for engaging a back cover plate and wherein said locket includes a back cover plate which is mounted in the frame against said annular flat back surface of the inwardly projecting ridge shaped support.

7. The invention defined in claim 6 wherein the back cover plate is dimensioned to fit within the frame in a wedge fit.

8. The invention defined in claim 6 wherein the back cover plate is formed with a decorative motif so that the locket can be worn with either the crystal cover or the decorative back plate exposed to view.

9. The invention defined in claim 6 including a jewel mount and connecting means for connecting the jewel mount to the back plate.

10. A jewelry locket of the kind in which a front crystal cover is removably retained in a frame to permit a photograph or other display image to be installed and removed or replaced beneath the crystal, said locket comprising,

a peripheral, cast metal frame, having an integrally formed inwardly projecting support providing a flat front support surface which is recessed from the front surface of the frame,

a crystal cover made from a plastic material that is clear and transparent and that also can be deformed by being compressed in a localized area without cracking,

said crystal cover having a peripheral configuration to fit closely in the frame with a back surface of the cover engaged with said fiat front support surface,

means for releasably retaining said crystal cover in place when so fitted in the frame while minimizing retaining contact therewith, said means comprising a plurality of bead-shaped retainer members cast integrally on the front surface of the frame and spaced about the periphery of the frame engaging the crystal cover only at selected locations on the periphery thereof in localized areas of compression,

said cover having a plurality of circumferentially spaced and radially outwardly extending raised areas formed integrally in the outer periphery of the cover which provide said selected locations for engagement with the bead-shaped retainer members whereby the plastic crystal cover is securely held in place in the frame during normal use of the locket but can readily be snapped out of and back into the frame without cracking, when it is desired to replace the photograph or other image by the coaction between the rigid bead-shaped retainer members and the compressible plastic crystal cover. 

1. A jewelry locket of the kind in which a front crystal cover is removably retained in a frame to permit a photograph or other display image to be installed and removed or replaced beneath the crystal, said locket comprising, a peripheral, cast metal frame having an integrally formed, inwardly projecting support providing a flat front surface which is recessed from the front surface of the frame, a crystal cover molded from a plastic material that is clear and transparent and that also can be deformed by being compressed in a localized area without cracking, said crystal cover having peripheral configuration to fit closely in the frame with a back surface of the cover engaged with said flat front support surface, and means for releasably retaining said crystal cover in place when so fitted in the frame while minimizing retaining contact therewith, said means comprising a plurality of bead-shaped retainer members cast integrally on the frame and spaced about the periphery of the frame for engaging the crystal cover only at selected locations on the periphery thereof in localized areas of compression whereby the plastic crystal cover is securely held in place in the frame during normal use of the locket but can readily be snapped out of and back into the frame when it is desired to replace the photograph or other image by the coaction between the bead-shaped retainer members and the compressible plastic crystal cover.
 2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the crystal cover is made from clear Lexan polycarbonate plastic and the back side of the crystal cover is hollowed out to reduce the wall thickness.
 3. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein the periphery of the crystal cover has four raised areas for making contact with four bead-shaped retainers members of said retaining means.
 4. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the frame and the crystal cover have a substantially elliptical configuration.
 5. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein there are a large number of bead shaped members in the form of circular beads, said large number including said retainer members and being cast integral with the frame and closely spaced to provide a decorative effect and the crystal cover has a plurality of raised areas which extend radially outwardly of the periphery said areas correponding in number to said retainer members so that they are effective to engage the periphery of the crystal cover at the raised areas.
 6. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the inwardly projecting support is a ridge shaped support having the annular flat front surface for engaging a back edge of the crystal cover and also having an annular flat back surface for engaging a back cover plate and wherein said locket includes a back cover plate which is mounted in the frame against said annular flat back surface of the inwardly projecting ridge shaped support.
 7. The invention defined in claim 6 wherein the back cover plate is dimensionEd to fit within the frame in a wedge fit.
 8. The invention defined in claim 6 wherein the back cover plate is formed with a decorative motif so that the locket can be worn with either the crystal cover or the decorative back plate exposed to view.
 9. The invention defined in claim 6 including a jewel mount and connecting means for connecting the jewel mount to the back plate.
 10. A jewelry locket of the kind in which a front crystal cover is removably retained in a frame to permit a photograph or other display image to be installed and removed or replaced beneath the crystal, said locket comprising, a peripheral, cast metal frame, having an integrally formed inwardly projecting support providing a flat front support surface which is recessed from the front surface of the frame, a crystal cover made from a plastic material that is clear and transparent and that also can be deformed by being compressed in a localized area without cracking, said crystal cover having a peripheral configuration to fit closely in the frame with a back surface of the cover engaged with said flat front support surface, means for releasably retaining said crystal cover in place when so fitted in the frame while minimizing retaining contact therewith, said means comprising a plurality of bead-shaped retainer members cast integrally on the front surface of the frame and spaced about the periphery of the frame engaging the crystal cover only at selected locations on the periphery thereof in localized areas of compression, said cover having a plurality of circumferentially spaced and radially outwardly extending raised areas formed integrally in the outer periphery of the cover which provide said selected locations for engagement with the bead-shaped retainer members whereby the plastic crystal cover is securely held in place in the frame during normal use of the locket but can readily be snapped out of and back into the frame without cracking, when it is desired to replace the photograph or other image by the coaction between the rigid bead-shaped retainer members and the compressible plastic crystal cover. 